BOP Correctional Officer

[Knightwolf]

Interview next Wednesday

[JZ71LT]

Good luck!

[Knightwolf]

Yeah i hope i get in. Plan is get onto Sort then eventually sis or transfer to air marshall

[Marshal40]

Federal Air Marshals are under TSA and HS. BOP is under DOJ. You will not be able to transfer you will have to re-apply and go through the full hiring process. For the love of Wyatt Earp "Marshal" is spelled with one L.

[Denver81]

Remember not all institutions have SORT teams, most have DCT.

[jchac]

Hello everybody, I am going to be graduating with my 4 year degree within the next 10 months and have been looking into BOP on USAjobs. I just have a few questions:
1.How difficult is getting hired at MCC New York or MDC Brooklyn?
2.I have found the pay scale. How do the pay steps work? I know that I would potentially start at Gl-05 but how long does it take to advance pay steps?
3. How are the promotional opportunities? What are the pay grades for promotions?
Thank you guys for taking the time out of your day to read my post.

Its really not difficult at all, just as long as you have a clean background, some basic experience. Every year you will get a raise in grade and in step. Once you reach Grade 7 you have to apply for the 8th grade (competitive) BUT your step still continues...until you 'step out' (max step on the scale). My time at MDC BK there has been promotions to different departments but its pretty competitive. Gl-08 is considered a promotion, and the next would be rank of Lieutenant, which Ive only seen a couple people get at Brooklyn. Most go to other facilities to reach said rank.

If you got more questions feel free to ask.

[Bowhunter2116]

New here. Figured I would throw out some info. Applied dec 2019, 2 weeks later was referred. Jan had the interview, ua, credit check, etc. I start Mondsy. 3 month time frame from date of app to start date, that’s pretty good.

I was with the bop before and left for a few years. Hiring process was much faster this time. Happy to be back honestly

[Knightwolf]

Btw are the tours 8, 10, or 12 hours or does it depend on where you go.

[Rmodel1965]

Depends. I worked one place in custody that had two 16s and one 8 hour shift with 4 days off a week.

[in625shooter]

Btw are the tours 8, 10, or 12 hours or does it depend on where you go.

99 9% custody does 8 he shifts. A couple Low institutions have a couple spots that are compressed at 10 hrs working a 4 and 3 every week. There might be a few more.

Some sta d alone camps do 12 hr shifts but there are only 4 or 5 stand alone camps and I'm not sure if some tha use to still do.

Outside of custody several departments have ome staff in compressed 4 10hr days. Medical, Facilities, some Recreation etc.

[Signal108M]

Iran frees thousands of prisoners due to covid-19. https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-i...nvirus-release

Sure hope BOP’s strategy is robust enough to avoid mass releases. https://www.bop.gov/resources/news/2...3_covid-19.jsp

[Signal108M]

Attorney General new focus on officer misconduct.

https://www.federaltimes.com/federal...on-misconduct/

[in625shooter]

Well considering Internal SIS and most OIA investigations yield zero results for the few ****** bags that are out of line about time. But in reality it will be yet another paper tiger

[Signal108M]

With Covid-19 impacting the country, is BOP still interviewing / hiring / conducting local IF / sending folks to FLETC?

[in625shooter]

They started an IF class this week and were doing interviews at my joint when I was doing some HR stuff. So yes most are business as usual however hat can change depending on the current crisis

[Rmodel1965]

https://m.facebook.com/fletc/photos/...cus_composer=0

[Andooped]

Since there seems to be a lot of questions regarding how long it takes from application to hire, here's my timeline, minus start date:

Applied: January 3, 2020
Referred: February 7
Interviewed: March 10
Conditional Offer: March 10 (right after panel interview)
E-Qip submitted: March 12

I'm awaiting my start date, but I'll provide an update (if anyone is interested) when I get that info. HR said I should know my start date anywhere from 2-4 weeks after E-Qip is submitted; with everything going on currently though, we'll see.

[grass_34]

Hey, I'm interested in any update from ya man. I am in the same boat as you. I submitted my EQIP just a few days after you did and still awaiting word back from it. I know with the current situation its probably putting a delay on processing times for EQIP, as ive been told many from OPM are working from home or not working at all at the moment. I also have been told that hiring initiatives are to continue though. Just gonna add time to an already timely process. But yeah keep us updated if you hear anything. Or DM me.

[A300!]

Has anyone noticed that the SF85P looks a lot more enhanced than before? It looks almost exactly like the SF86, just with different time frames. Would anyone know why it would undergo such a drastic change?

[Showtime0811]

Just got a email stating:

FCI Sandstone in Sandstone, MN is currently looking for Correctional Officers. I will be doing a board request next week so if you are interested in the position here, please go on to USAJOBS.gov and apply to the Correctional Officer position and put Sandstone down as your first choice.

We are currently approved for a %10 recruitment bonus to starting salary for new hires for the officer position. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

[BurntOut760]

How are you offered your facility, should you move thru the hiring process? I haven't tried to apply on usajobs. Just curious if you select locations on your app, or they give you options with your offer?

[JZ71LT]

You select your top 2 facilities when you apply. You may still get a call or email from others that are hiring, they will tell you to change your first choice if interested.

[tigers2007]

If someone gets hired for a non-CO position (accountant, HR, plumber, dairy farmer supervisor, etc.) do they have to actually wear the BoP uniform if they are augmented/forced into watching the convicts?

[in625shooter]

Facilities do as do most others. Accounting, HR and such is business casual

Respectfully as a 20 year guy at a USP that's worked custody as Officer and LT. If you want to work in BOP for the LE pay and retirement and feel "Forced" to watch Inmates please go somewhere else as we have enough of those types.

I say this again respectfully because while you might not have ment it Wigh tha tat one statement alone you come across as several that work for BOP in non custody but act surprised they have to do menial tasks involving inmates.

Good luck with your endeavours!!!

[tigers2007]

Wow you must regularly wear a uniform there; I understand that you folks are ridiculously understaffed per recent and past news articles. Seems like the agency has put a reliance, though, on NON-uniformed positions (Accounting, Chaplain, etc) to do the work of uniformed CO’s. Considering the substantial rise in attacks against uniformed and other staff there, the agency seems to be struggling.
If you were “forced” to perform a Muslim prayer service to several followers, how would you feel? If you were ordered to process and meet payroll deadlines and also monitor convicts how would you feel? Seems like the quality of service to the public, inmates, and employees is degraded when the job expectations are clouded by insecurity of the agency itself.

[jchac]

At the BOP, you are a correctional officer first, they tell you this in the academy, as all employees (hr, medical, financial services, etc.) go through the academy.

[tigers2007]

Yeah the way they advertise it is akin to everyone on a US Navy vessel being a fire fighter too. But the expectation for each non-CO employee to be sharp and effective at guard duties can’t be realistic. It almost devalues the job of a CO as “anyone else” can fill in for the CO job. I have done a lot of reading on this very issue through media reports and union grievances along with agency responses. The underlying problem is obvious and the solution is simple. Unfortunately the pay and benefits aren’t enough to attract new staff. Maybe this will change soon due to the economy.

[Rmodel1965]

It is realistic. Just because you specialize in a specific position is irrelevant. I did over 600 hours of overtime last year and most of the hours were in a custody position. I am a corrections officer first and foremost. I would have done more but my work hours are weird and overlap custody post start times but I relieve a lot of mandates so people can go home if they want.

[in625shooter]

Tigers, Respectfully you read what they print. I wouldn't believe everything you read. But from someone that has lived BOP for 20 years here's the way it is
Every staff member supervises inmates. It doesn't matter if your an Officer (BOP has not used the title of guards for several decades) Recreation, Facilities, Food Service or whatever ou supervise in your specific environment. Every staff member goes through FLETC. The only ones that are not firearms certified is Clergy and Public Health service.

Where some of us in custody have issue (per my previous response) Is some folks feel they are above doing custody assignments if needed. Nobody is any better than anyone and you sign up to work in a prison one should be able to work around inmates without issue.

As far as the Union they play a part in keeping some fairness in certain processes however sometimes cry foul when they shouldn't. Of course this also is played by the national union kn trying to say somehow non custody isnt as trained. Playing it up. Everyone goes to Glynco, everyone has eye so everyone can watch an inmate and know how to respond per BOP policy

As far as pay that depends on area. In most areas BOP pays double what local areas do In larger municiple areas it's the opposite. Which is why places like New York etc can be hard to retain staff.

Some of us make over 100K with minimal OT when you factor in shift differential Sundy pay and such.

Are there other agencies whith better end pay and retirements? Sure but BOP isn't that bad as it's on the Fed LE retirement You shouldn't go hungry

[tigers2007]

What are the overtime, shift and weekend premiums? Going back to my original question, do the non-officers ever wear a uniform besides at FLETC? I’m very familiar with flea-tech as I’ve been there countless times. Im not afraid of watching inmates or going hands on; I’m just curious of what to expect a regular day to be for a BoP accountant.
Also, I thank you all for being very responsive.

[in625shooter]

Accountants call under B yuh business office and usually wear business casual as they do not get a uniform allowance. Non Cusyody outside of being augmented so many days a year for a full shift of CO duties.

You will have a mainline rotation where someone from each area stands mainline. As business office you really are there for staff number. Medical would answer medical questions, unit real case management questions etc.

There will be an occasional emergency med trip so you might get thrown in a unit for a couple hours for an emergency. You will respond to emergencies (or should depending on how the institution is set up and physical layout) .

As far as how often depends on institutions. USP is high security and are generally busier than Medium and Low FCIs. Bot that bad stuff doesn't happen at FCIs it just doesn't happen as much at FCIs.

Any prison though there's really no way hing "routine"

[MrAce]

You will be certified law enforcement. I’ve never seen accountants do CO duties but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. They usually throw Counselors first into those duties. As far as a uniform it’s “Business Casual”. But you will carry a duty belt most likely and wear a badged outer vest, which you can conceal if you’d like under your cloths.

[MrAce]

As an accountant you most likely will never be scheduled premium or weekend shifts (unless an emergancy of course). Custody staff have unlimited OT if it’s available, non custody basically none.

[Rmodel1965]

No only institutions that are violating the master agreement dont give non custody equitable treatment on overtime signup. Overtime is supposed to be equitable for bargaining unit members on an institutional wide basis not a per department basis.